Reed, D.W. 2018. Flood historey at Lauder and Earlston: the historical record. Pro bono report, 17 April 2018, 146pp.
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The report explores the history of flooding from the Leader Water and Turfford Burn. If something more useful than risk assessment is to emerge from the Earlston Flood Study, it will be important to understand why redevelopment in Earlston has never quite grasped the limitations imposed by its setting alongside the Burn, in spite of drainage improvements undertaken in the late 1890s and again in the late 1960s.
Perhaps because of the recurrent flooding problem with the Turfford Burn, flood risk at Earlston from the Leader itself has not always gained the attention it deserves. SEPA’s flood-risk map indicates that a large Leader flood could have high impact there.
A few residents and businesses are exposed to flood risk from both the Leader and the Burn. However, the large majority are principally vulnerable to one rather than the other. This will understandably influence their expectation of actions to be prioritised following the Earlston Flood Study. This split could make for a rocky road if the two problems continue to be kept under one umbrella.
The situation at Lauder is helped by special factors that have in the main kept development away from the Leader Water. There are relatively few properties currently mapped as at risk from the Leader Water. However, it is demonstrated that the flood-risk modelling and mapping work has not taken adequate account of the historical flood record.
A surprising planned development at Thirlestane makes Leader flood-risk topical from the Harry Burn to Earlston, and possibly beyond.
A summary of principal conclusions is provided. But the essence of historical flood review lies in the detail.